Singapore City Skyline 2010, Day Panorama, Wikimedia Commons

The Group of Friends for Sustainable Cities, co-chaired by Sweden and Singapore, is a group of 29 countries leading the global dialogue regarding the critical role of cities and the importance of sustainable urban development in achieving sustainable development at-large.

In May 2012, the Group of Friends collaborated with United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to host the High Level Meeting event Sustainable Cities: Rio+20 and Beyond. Panelists included Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat who highlighted the importance of working with Habitat Agenda partners to provide people with a stake in the planning and development of their cities.

The discussion also included the presentation of Singapore’s Livability Framework, a guideline for sustainable development out of lessons that Singapore has learned through becoming one of the world’s most livable cities. The event concluded with an exploration of various modes of local citizen participation in sustainable urban development including through electronic platforms for dialogue and exchange and fostering global partnerships through such interactions.